שצא

Overview: Friday, Erev Shabbas Kodesh Parshas Chukas — Uman — 5602. Written in Yiddish — a tender father's letter to his young sons Nachman and Yosef Yonah. For Hashem's sake — be diligent in learning — and you will always be well. This world is nothing at all. Only Torah and prayer and good deeds remain. What you will necessarily need — he will help you with Hashem's help — and greatness one does not need. The expensive garments embitter people's lives — in particular simple people — in particular persecuted ones like themselves — where every gold coin comes through great miracle that cannot be told. But even so — G-d will help them to eat and drink and a caftan. Only learn and pray and guard yourselves from evil and be joyful. Also see to write every day. And honor well your good mother — for Hashem's sake do not quarrel — and certainly do not hit each other — G-d forbid. You should not cause any distress to your mother — she toils around you enough. And say Tehillim every day. And begin to accustom yourselves to pour out your hearts before Hashem — and it will be so well for you. Not only to you alone does he write this — for he writes this also to your older brothers — they also need all these words. But you are young children who should live long — you need from today to begin to accustom yourselves to think only of the ultimate purpose. You are blessed be Hashem not fools — G-d forbid. You will understand his words — but when you fulfil them — you will understand them even better.

Yesterday he received his letter — inside the letter of his son — may he live — from Tultchin — and it was a comfort. But great is his pain from the weakness of your wife — may she live — and he hopes to Hashem Yisborach that He will send her a complete healing from Heaven — quickly — without any remedies and stratagems. And he warns very greatly — all the members of his household — that they should guard themselves from engaging with her in any remedies of the masses called babske — old women's remedies. And not the doctors' remedies — G-d forbid — for all of them are lies and falsehood — they do not help and do not save — on the contrary they harm greatly. And even for constipation — do nothing — for on the whole it is good for the body's health — see Sichos HaRa"n. And if — G-d forbid — the constipation is more than usual — certainly it is forbidden to engage with false material medical causes — for they will not help — and more than that — they harm — G-d forbid. Rather rely upon Hashem Yisborach alone — "Asher yatzar es ha'adam b'chochmah u'vara vo" — until "rofeh choli kol basar u'mafli la'asos" — "Who heals the illness of all flesh and acts wondrously." And only He alone is the true faithful and compassionate Healer — He causes pain and He binds up — He and no other. And he has already spoken of this greatly in the name of our Master — of blessed memory. But he who sees — he still sees that they need to speak of this greatly. If only it will help to save souls. In any case — in his household he does not want any medication of the idol-healing doctors to enter. Only to fulfil — as he heard from his holy mouth — who said on this matter in this language: "vos tut men az me iz in feld?" — "what does one do when one finds oneself in the field?" — and so forth. [A characteristic teaching of the Rebbe — from the Torah Azam'rah — that when one finds oneself in the open field without access to any medicine — one relies entirely on the Healer of all flesh — Hashem alone. The rhetorical question itself was his whole answer: that is precisely the situation of every human being at every moment — one is always in the open field before Hashem] And he has spread his hands to Hashem — may He send her help and salvation quickly — to restore her to health — speedily and swiftly — Amen so may it be His will.

And you too my beloved son — awaken from now on — through all that passes over you — to begin to accustom yourself to lift your eyes above — for all that passes over you — for we have no one to lean on except our Father in Heaven. And see to say Tehillim with intention — and to engage in our prayers every day — and to express your conversation every time — in particular just now. Hope in Hashem and He will save you. And also see now in any case to cast away from yourself the ways of youth and the youthful attributes — and the bad character traits that have taken hold in you — which are not connected to you at all — which are the fault-finding and the anger. And fulfil "v'ha'seir ka'as mi'libecha v'ha'avair ra'ah mi'b'sarecha" — "and remove anger from your heart and put away evil from your flesh." And believe me my beloved son — the essential of his pain from your fault-finding and your anger and your irritability — is not the pain that you cause him or his household or his wife — who is your mother-in-law. Rather all his pain and concern from this — is that you harm yourself greatly — G-d forbid — materially and spiritually. And he desires greatly your good and your success materially and spiritually forever — therefore he writes to you from the walls of his heart. And more than this you will hear from the mouth of the bearer of this letter — their veteran friend Rabbi Leible — may his light shine. And his request from you my beloved son — that you not be wearied by his rebuke. And do not find fault and do not be angry about this itself — about what he writes to you all this — for from the love for you that is in his heart — he speaks with you for your eternal good. For he knows that your heart in its inwardness greatly longs to draw close to Hashem Yisborach in truth — only the ways of youth and youthfulness separate between you and the true path — therefore he could not restrain himself from rebuking you with love — as a father who desires his son.

And also see from now on in any case to accustom yourself to study more every day — Talmud and a legal code every day — and Chumash with Rashi's commentary — and Nevi'im and Kesuvim — and also the books of our Rebbe — of blessed memory — study every day — in order that it go well for you forever and ever.

And behold — via the non-Jew who traveled with Rabbi N. — may his light shine — he sent a letter to them. And see to write him a letter — and send it to his son in Tultchin. And write to him whether he received the letter via the above-mentioned non-Jew and this letter — and whether his words entered his ears. And also write to him of the welfare of his wife — may she live — and of his sons — may they live — of each and every one. For what you wrote to him in your letter about his sons — may they live — in particular that his son Nachman — may he live — is diligent in his studies — and his son Yosef Yonah — may he live — also learns more than before — you gave his soul very great life. May Hashem likewise give life to your soul — and send quickly complete healing to your wife — may she live. Only he has great pain from what you wrote about his daughter Chana Tzirel — may she live — that she is not well. And Rabbi Naftali — may his light shine — also told him of this. And ask her not to be distressed — and in particular not to engage with any material remedy — G-d forbid — only trust in Hashem that He will heal her quickly. And also do not worry about livelihood so much — for this harms her — G-d forbid — greatly for the health of her body — and trust in Hashem Yisborach that He will never abandon her. And he wanted to extend further — but time does not suffice — and this is enough for now.

The words of your father — who urges and rebukes you — for your good in this world and in the World to Come forever. And awaits and hopes that you will fulfil his words from now. Then it will be good for you always.

Nussun of Breslov. Overview: Monday, Parshas Balak — Uman — 5602. To his son-in-law Dovid Tzvi. He received his letter — and it was a comfort. But great is his pain from the weakness of his wife. He hopes to Hashem that He will send her a complete healing from Heaven — quickly — without any remedies and stratagems. He warns very greatly — not to engage with folk remedies of the old women — and not the doctors' remedies — G-d forbid — for all of them are lies and falsehood — they do not help and they harm greatly. Rely upon Hashem alone — "Asher yatzar es ha'adam b'chochmah" — until "rofeh choli kol basar u'mafli la'asos." And only He alone is the true faithful and compassionate Healer. In his household — no medication of the idol-healing doctors shall enter. Only to fulfil — as he heard from his holy mouth — "vos tut men az me iz in feld?" — "what does one do when one finds oneself in the field?" And you too my beloved son — awaken from now on — through all that passes over you — to begin to lift your eyes above — for we have no one to lean on except our Father in Heaven. See to say Tehillim with intention — and to engage in our prayers every day — and to express your conversation every time. Cast away from yourself the ways of youth — the fault-finding and the anger — and fulfil "v'ha'seir ka'as mi'libecha." Believe me — the essential of his pain from your fault-finding and your anger — is not the pain you cause him — but rather all his pain is that you harm yourself greatly — G-d forbid — materially and spiritually. He desires greatly your good and your success forever. He knows that your heart in its inwardness greatly longs to draw close to Hashem in truth — only the ways of youth separate you from the true path. Also accustom yourself to study more every day — Talmud and a legal code — and Chumash with Rashi — and Nevi'im and Kesuvim — and also the books of our Rebbe — study every day — in order that it go well for you forever and ever. He received his letter. And there it was said — regarding the circumcision — that they merited that a son was born in good fortune to the grandson of our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe — of blessed memory. And they rejoiced in this on Thursday in the evening. May Hashem Yisborach help that it be for a good sign for him and for all of them — that they merit that through this his salvation and their salvation spring forth — in the midst of the holy people of Israel — Amen so may it be His will.

[Hebrew: נָתָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב...]